Martial law declaration is ‘invalid’ says National Assembly chairman after vote
Woo Won-sik, the chair of the National Assembly has said that the emergency martial law declaration is “invalid” following the vote by lawmakers for the decree to be lifted, according to CNN.
“The President should immediately lift the emergency martial law following the voting by the National Assembly” Won-sik reportedly said. “Now, emergency martial law declaration is invalid.”
“The people should … rest easy, the National Assembly will defend democracy with the people,” he added.
Key events
United Nations officials are watching the situation in South Korea very closely and with concern, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said on Tuesday.
“The situation is evolving quickly” Dujarric added.
The Kremlin has called South Korea’s martial law declaration “concerning”, Interfax news agency is reporting.
President Vladimir Putin’s spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told the agency that “the situation is concerning” adding “we are watching closely.”
US was not given advance notice of South Korean President’s declaration of martial law, White House says
The United States was not given advance notice of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s declaration of martial law in the country, a White House spokesperson told Reuters on Tuesday, adding that Washington is “seriously concerned by the developments there.”
President Joe Biden’s administration is in contact with the South Korean government and is monitoring the situation closely, the spokesperson added.
South Korean military officials say it will maintain martial law until lifted by President
South Korean military officials have said martial law will remain in effect until lifted by President Yoon Suk Yeol, according to local broadcaster YTN, other local media reports and Agence France-Presse, despite the parliament’s vote to lift it.
Here are some photos of South Korean martial law soldiers recently leaving the National Assembly:
US Ambassador to South Korea Philip Goldberg says that the US embassy in Seoul and the US Department of State are “closely tracking President Yoon’s recent declaration of martial law.”
“The situation is fluid” Goldberg said in a statement. “Please monitor local news sources for updates as the situation progresses and sign up here to receive direct updates from the Department of State.”
Lawmakers in the National Assembly are still waiting to hear from President Yoon.
More than an hour has passed since 190 lawmakers voted unanimously to lift the president’s martial law decree. It is now 2:40 am in South Korea.
South Korea’s main opposition, the Democratic Party, has called President Yoon’s decision to declare martial law “essentially a coup d’état” and has called for an immediate reversal of the decision.
In a statement reported by Reuters, the party asserted, “The emergency martial law is invalid and illegal, and the president should be held accountable.”
They also said that the declaration of martial law was procedurally invalid as it was made without a cabinet meeting, and the party stated that the current political and social situation does not meet the criteria outlined in the country’s constitution.
President Joe Biden has just told reporters that he is “just getting briefed” on the situation in South Korea.
Biden was asked about the developments in South Korea after giving a speech in Luanda, Angola.
He said he hadn’t heard the details of the situation.
Summary
If you’re just joining us, here is a quick catch up on what has happened so far in South Korea in the last few hours.
Right now, it is 2.30am local time in South Korea, and about 190 of the country’s lawmakers in the National Assembly chamber have just recently voted unanimously to block the president’s declaration of martial law. Meanwhile, outside the building, thousands of people continue to protest against the president.
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This all began after South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol declared an “emergency martial law” on Tuesday during a televised briefing.
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Yoon accused the country’s opposition of controlling the parliament, sympathising with North Korea and paralysing the government with anti-state activities.
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South Korea’s main opposition, the Democratic party, which has a majority in parliament, then called on all its lawmakers to meet and assemble at the national assembly.
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The country’s military announced a suspension of all parliamentary activity. Under martial law, political activities are banned, protests are prohibited and media is censored.
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Large crowds of protesters began gathering outside the general assembly building as police blocked the entrance.
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Lawmakers that had assembled then voted unanimously to lift the president’s martial law decree, with 190 of its 300 members present.
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The chair of the National Assembly then said that the emergency martial law declaration was now “invalid” following the vote by lawmakers for the decree to be lifted.
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Just after 2am local time, it was reported that some troops were beginning to withdraw from the main parliamentary building.
Here are some new photos coming through the wire showing the scenes outside the National Assembly in Seoul:
Martial law troops begin to withdraw from parliament building
It is just after 2am local time in Seoul and CNN is reporting troops are beginning to withdraw from the main parliamentary building, following a unanimous vote by lawmakers in South Korea to block the president’s martial law decree.
Soldiers entered the building not long after the president’s declaration of martial law on Tuesday.
The speaker of the National Assembly also reportedly just stated that South Korean troops are leaving the parliament building, according to the BBC, which cited the Yonhap news agency.
The local Korean newspaper, Chosun Ilbo, is also reporting that some forces are still waiting within the National Assembly grounds, although some appear to have set down their gear, according to CNN.
Protesters remain in a stand-off with the police outside the National Assembly compound
Journalists on the ground are reporting that police are standing at the main gate of the National Assembly in Seoul, while protesters continue to shout and chant.
“We are not here to fight you, we are here to fight Yoon” some protesters are chanting.
The protesters are reportedly in the thousands.
This live video stream from Reuters shows members South Korea’s opposition party protesting outside the National Assembly, chanting.
What does the South Korean constitution say?
South Korea’s constitution states the president has the authority to declare martial law when it is deemed necessary to cope with a military threat or to maintain public safety and order by mobilizing military forces, according to Reuters.
The president’s martial law declaration must be reviewed by the cabinet, and once martial law is declared, the National Assembly must be notified of the decision.
If the National Assembly requests the lifting of martial law by a majority vote of its members, the president must comply.
The martial law commander has authority over all administrative and judicial matters and is appointed by the president on the recommendation of the defence minister among active-duty generals. The commander has the power to take actions related to arrests of persons, searches and seizures, speech and the press, and assembly.
Martial law declaration is ‘invalid’ says National Assembly chairman after vote
Woo Won-sik, the chair of the National Assembly has said that the emergency martial law declaration is “invalid” following the vote by lawmakers for the decree to be lifted, according to CNN.
“The President should immediately lift the emergency martial law following the voting by the National Assembly” Won-sik reportedly said. “Now, emergency martial law declaration is invalid.”
“The people should … rest easy, the National Assembly will defend democracy with the people,” he added.
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